That made this all the more difficult, but she has them– and they could not abandon her to the forces of the navy sharks here. There was no doubt in Iva’s mind that Sakazuki would run her through the first chance he got to bring his teeth down upon her, if only because she was related to Dragon. There was no justice in this world, if someone could be tried and executed for something as stupid as bloodlines.
“No pod, no friends–” Iva announced, to with Bon gave an indignant snort of insult. “And you want to take on this whole Kingdom’s government. You’re crazy! You’re going into unfamiliar territories to save an orca the whole world wants dead!” She had the odds stacked against her, but what could Iva do? There was no talking her out of it. “You’ll be lucky, if you manage to pull this off,” they concede.
Though, they would confess that the probability of success was slim.
Ace had been moved to deep within the Kingdom, the heart of it all, which were prepared now to be the grounds of his execution. Catching the King of the Sea’s son and finally killing him was a dream that rested in the hearts and minds of many ocean dwellers, and most humans. Roger had done well to wage war against those above and turn the entire world upside down. What he had left behind was sure to suffer for his crimes; so many hated him. And so many had lost their lives in the quest to destroy any legacy he might leave behind.
Entire pods of orca had been decimated for mere suspicion of his siring any progeny. Luck alone had graced Rouge when the ships came and the seas turned red. Her matriarch escaped, riddled with madness, and Rouge took to the open ocean– hiding in plain sight, singing to her unborn as she protected him from the hatred of the world. Now, he stood shackled and beaten down by the very forces she had lost her life trying to keep him from.
And as they walked him to the gallows with each slow, agonizing step, Ace could feel the weight of the public staring him down. They would prefer ending him themselves, and he could feel it within his bones.
Sabo had protested that he was a hero– he had gone after Teach and his malicious pod to protect the Kingdom of the East Blue, lost his freedom and perhaps even part of his sanity to ensure that terrible sperm whale did not return. Yet, his good deeds were enough to condemn him here.
Some rowdy patrons tried to lunge at him as he passed, held back by naval sharks with some effort. The assurances of his beloveds all washed away with the sudden vitriol he heard echoing around him, pulsing through the angry residents of this kingdom who yearned for blood spilled.
“Monster!”
“Demon blood!”
“You should never have been born!”
He knew this. Every word shouted, every abuse spat his way; he knew deep within that they were right as he was led up the steps to the execution scaffold. Sakazuki stood nearby, his eyes alight with hatred and determination to cut bloodlines here. And all Ace could do was pray that they believed Sabo when he told them that Anne was his own, so she would not have to face something as terrible as this.
Bon’s magic came to good use in getting the group in, unnoticed– but now, seeing Ace up on the scaffold? He is sure all that would come to a swift and violent end.
An orca the whole world wants dead!
Not the whole world, is a quick thought that runs through her mind before giving the octopus a pointed look. “I don’t care what the world wants.” She proclaims with a tone of seriousness. She doesn’t care what the world wants or what the world thinks of Ace, in her opinion the world was wrong. Ace didn’t do anything to deserve their hatred so she didn’t fully understand why. If his only crime was being Rodger’s son, then she’d fight to hell and back to save her lover and prove the world wrong.
Ace was everything to her, she’s not going to just stand by and let him be killed over something like this.
“Crazy or not I’m still going to save him.” She says with an air of confidence surrounding her. She has to get him back, she’s sure of it! Luffy refuses to leave without him and she’ll die trying if it come down to it. Luffy wonders if Bon and Iva knew this too, because it wasn’t long before they were coming up with a plan.
They had formed a plan, or well, Iva and Bon Clay where the ones who mostly came with said plan while Luffy stood beside them and nodded along to what they were saying. Truthfully she was only half paying attention, her mind was to focused on Ace, but she understood the important bits of their plan at least.
It had been easy enough to get through with the help of Bon’s magic, and Luffy couldn’t be more grateful for their help in getting her in. It had taken a lot of willpower to keep quiet and not rush ahead of the small group. It got even harder the closer they had gotten to Ace, it took everything in her to not yell back at people, or throw a punch in someone’s face when she’s heard the insults thrown at Ace. Iva and Bon might have also had to physically pull her back if she had stepped to far ahead or turning towards those who throw their harsh words at Ace.
She can see him, just barely, but she could see him walking through while people gathered closer to see if they could get a hit or two in. It angered her to see her mate like this, him being treated like he was a criminal when he’s done nothing wrong.
Luffy’s fist ball at her sides until her knuckles turned white, anger burns bright in her eyes as she wildly look from side to side at the people who yell their insults, it only grows louder and louder as Ace is escorted onto the platform itself.
It’s then she decides she’s no longer wasting anymore time and he jolts ahead of her own group and weaves in and out of the crowd to get closer to Ace, she’s shoving people aside, and even fighting off those who try to get in her way or stop her.
